Combined motor truck and conveyer



Jan., 23, i951 J, R, K11-CHIENS 2,539,021

COMBINED MOTOR TRUCK AND CONVEYER Filed June 4, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Iu L'elltor Jess R. Kitchens By m60 ma M14/( Mgrkneys Fig.

Jan, 23, 11951 1, R, KITCHENS 2,539,021

COMBINED MOTOR TRUCK AND CONVEYER Filed June 4, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2Inventor Jess R. Ki rchens mgm/ffy 5mm Jam, 23, 11.951 J. R. KlTcl-n-:Ns

COMBINED MOTOR TRUCK AND OONVEYER 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 4, 1947Inventor Jan, 23 i951 J. R. KlTcHENs COMBINED MOTOR TRUCK AND OONVEYER 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 4, 1947 I u reu for Jess Kchen@ Patented Jan.23, 1951 vCOMBINEDIVIO'T'OR TRUCK AND CONVEYER .Jess .R. Kitchens,Duncan, Okla., assigner of thirty vper lcent to J. Bryan Driskill,Duncan,

Okla.

Application -Junel 4, 1947,"Serial No. 752,530

f4Claims. -1

This invention :relates lto .a :combined .motor vtruck and conveyor,.'andithezprimary object of the inventionis toprovide'amotor truck witha conveyor driven from theapowertake-off :shaftof the truck and `bodilymovablerelativetoithetruck to different positions Vfor deliveringgrainfor other material from .the body of the truck intof'abin or thevlike'at'either .sideiof the latter, `for delivering thematerial fromthe ground intothe body of said 'truck or ian; adjacent ivehicle, 'or.for delivering the .material .from the `body of .an adjacent vehiclevinto a .bin or th'e .like `at one Yside 'of the vadjacent vehicle.

A further `robject Yis to adjustably connect 'the conveyor withthelbody'of the .truckzso that the conveyor may be readilyfdisposed indifferentpositions to veectively load `orzunload as desired, and so that.the fconveyorand .its Adriving `means will not interfere withmovementof the body of a dump Atruck to which it may be rapplied,whenordinary vdumping tof a iload .frorn said lbody -is desired.

Anotherobject isto provide means "for driving the conveyor that will beoperableinvariousiadjusted positions.

The `exact nature of the present invention, as well as more specificobjectsfand features thereof, will become apparent from the followingdescription when considered in connection with the 1faccompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a `fragmentary side elevational view of a motor truckequipped with a conveyor `lin-iaccordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is lan enlarged view. partly.;i-n rear elevation and vpartly insection, of the construction shown inFigure .1, but with theconveyorinclined to unload material from 4the .truck body `'to .one sideof the truck;

Figure 3 is a viewsimilar to Figure2'but-drawn on a reduced scale andshowing the .conveyormclined to lunload material 'from .the ltruck :body.to the other side of the truck;

Figure .4 is a view similar 'to Figure 3, :showing the conveyor 'inusefor vunloading materialifrom Figure .6 iis-:auview :similar vto .FigureA, showing `the Aconveyor' `in :usetforloading'fmateral from the :groundinto the ibody A'n'fzthe ivehiclelocat'edaait fone side of 'the :truckiequippedfwitl'lV the .'ii'invcyorg:and

.Figure Il is-an enlarged .'fragmentaryfelevation,

.I2 showing details ofthe adjustable :bracket ,mount- .ed at the Vtop ofaside ywall ofthe truck body.

`In vthe drawings, I have shown the invention installed .upon a motortruck having a .chassis frame III on which isrigidly mounted Aa box-typebody I I. However, lthe truck :may'have a dump body mounted-and operatedvas disclosed in the U. S. Patent Ato rClifford A. Nesseth, No.2,102g432, dated December 14, 1937, kand the truck has V.a longitudinal"power take-.off .shaft 5I2 similar :to Athat shown at 26 in said patentand driven by the power plant of the truck.

At the side Aof chassis frame I0 which .is vadjacent the shaft I2, adepending bracket 1:3 `is fixed to fsaid chassis frame and has a bearingl.'IlI 'at its lower end in which vis journal'ed the :intermediateportion of a countershaft 15. At the :forward end, shaft I5 'isoperatively connected to power take-.01T shaft I2 by a chainandsprocket'gearing I6. VA second bracket JI'I is hingedto the lowerendroi' a plate I8 fixed :to the bottomzof the adjacent side of body I'Iimmediately tothe frear .of bracket 'I3,.and a second-countershaft I9 is,journaled in bearings 20 carried bysaid-second'brack- Aet -I'I. TheArear lend of shaft I5 is operatively connected to the forward end ofshaft I9 by a belt gearing 2|. Plate Ifand bracket I'I have'interfitting hinge knuckles through which is passed a hinge `bolt 22having a nut 23 threaded on one end thereof which may be .tightened `tosecure .the I.bracket I'I in diierent .positions of angular adjustmentreative to plate I8 to Atighten the .belt

-of gearing 2|.

A third bracket I1', similar to bracket .I'I, is hinged to the upperedge kof a plate I8 xed to the adjacent Yside-ofbody I I `at the top ofthe flat- '.terand immediately'to'the rear of plate HI8. This bracketI'I tis hinged in the same manner 'as bracket II'to be adiusted todifferent angular positionsrelative 'to plate I 8 for tightening vthe 1belt of :a belt gearing 24 provided between the rear end-tof :theshaft1.9 fand a third countershait 25 journaled in bearings 26 carried by.said Ibracket .i1-C. It'will 4be noted that, 'in-'case the l'body II isof the dumpztype, movement thereof maybefreely .permitted l'merely :uponth'e removal roi 4vthe belt .of gearing A2 'I :The hinge 'bolt'and `:nut`,associated with bracket |=`I' and .plate I8" `are Jtheisame as :those`associated with `bracket '.-II' :and vplate v:113, and' areindicatedbysimilar reference characters.

".The Apresent..inyention valso .includes ac'onveyo C which embodies anelongated casing or chiite i2] which `is fopen :at :its fands fand has@an endless conveying element Amovable"thereiniso thatieither end of theconveyor-.maybe 'utilized 'as the intake or discharge end of theconveyor. The endless conveying element includes an endless chain 28provided at intervals with transverse paddles 29 arranged to move alongopposite longitudinal walls of casing or chute 21 and passing aroundsprocket wheels secured on the intermediate portions of transverseshafts 30 and 3| journaled in the ends of casing or chute 21. Theendless conveying element may be maintained in a taut condition byadjustment of bearing brackets 32 for shaft 3I which are adjustablelongitudinally of the casing or chute 21. Broadly considered, thisconveyor is of a well known type and needs no further descriptionherein. However, at a point between its ends and nearer one end thereofthan the other, the conveyor has a transverse shaft 33 which extendsthrough the sides of casing or trough 2'.l and between the runs of theendless conveying element 28, 2S. One projecting end of shaft 33 isoperatively connected with shaft 25 by a belt and pulley drivingconnection 34, while the other end of shaft 33 is operatively connectedwith shaft 3l by a belt pulley driving connection 35. Shaft is journaledin bearings 3S which are adjustable longitudinally of casing or chute 21for tightening the belt of driving connection 35, the adiustment ofbearings 32 effecting tightening of chain 28. It will be seen thatrotation of power takeoff shaft i2 is transmitted to the drive shaft 3lof the conveyor through chain gearing i6, and belt and pulley drivingconnections 2I,24,34 and 35.

The conveyor C is connected with bracket Il" by means of links 31 whichare adjustable in length to tighten the belt of driving connection 34.Asshown, the links 31 are pivotally engaged at corresponding ends withthe ends of shaft 33 and at their other ends with the ends of shaft 25,thus permitting disposition of links 31 at various angles relative tobracket l1' and disposition of conveyor C at various angles relative tolinks 31. The arrangement is such that the links 31 may be disengagedfrom shaft 25 and pivotally engaged with the ends of shaft I9 as shownin Figures and 6, the belt 24 being dispensed with and shaft 33 beingdirectly driven from shaft is by the belt of driving connection 34.

When the conveyor is not in use. it may be suitably propped in avertical position 'within and upon the bottom of body I I as shown fulllines in Figure and by dotted lines in Figure 2. However, should it bedesired to unload material from the body i l of the truck into anadjacent bin or vehicle at one side of the truck, the conveyor may bemoved to the laterally inclined position shown by: full lines in Figure2. The arrangement is such that'the conveyor will be driven so that itsendless conveyor element will have its lower run move upwardly withincasing 21, providing a conveyor or elevator of the under-shot type. Thematerial may be fed to the lower end of the conveyor by an operatorlocated Within the body I l and shoveling the material to the conveyor.Should it be desired to unload the material from the truck body tov theopposite side of the truck as shown in Figure 3, the conveyor willsimply be tilted to incline in the opposite direction, but the belt ofdriving connection 34 will be crossed so that the endless conveyingelement of the conveyor will be driven in the opposite direction tothereby still provide a conveyor of the under-shot type. ya A'sillustrated in Figure 4, the conveyor may be positioned within the bodyII of a vehicle arranged alongside theA truck equipped with theconveyor, whereby to unload material from said adjacent vehicle into abin at one side of the latter. For this purpose, the links 31 are simplyswung about the shaft 25 so as to extend from the adjacent side of themotor truck toward and over the body I I of the adjacent vehicle, theconveyor being disposed at an inclination within and upon lthe bottom ofthe body of said adjacent vehicle.

In this use, the belt of driving connection 34 will be crossed to securedrive of the endless conveying element in the proper direction.

Whenever it is desired to load material from the ground into the body IIof the truck or into the body I I' of an adjacent vehicle asrespectively shown in Figures 5 and 6, the links 31 are disconnectedfrom shaft 25 and engaged with shaft I9, the belt of driving connection24 being dispensed with, and the belt of driving connection 34 beingutilized to provide a drive between shaft I9 and shaft 33. When loadingfrom the ground into 'the body of the motor truck as shown in Figure 5,the belt of driving connection 34 is not crossed, but when loading fromthe ground into the body II of an adjacent vehicle as shown in Figure 6,it'is crossed. This is done to always drive the endless conveyingelement in the proper direction to secure an under-shot discharge ofmaterial from the conveyor. In the use of Figure 5 the upper portion ofthe conveyor is simply rested against the truck 'body II and the lowerend of the conveyor rests upon the ground. In the use of Figure 6, theupper portion of the conveyor is rested against the side of the adjacentvehicle body-I I and the lower end of the conveyor is rested on theground. The pivotal engagement of links 31 with shaft I9 and with shaft3S permits disposition of the conveyor at the most efcient inclination.As shaft I2 may be thrown into or out of operation at will in a mannerwell known in the art, driving of the conveyor or cessation of suchdriving may be' effected when desired. Any suitable provision may bemade for supporting the conveyor in the inclined positions of Figures 2,3 and 4.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction,operation and advantages of the present invention will be readilyunderstood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. Modificationsand changes in details of construction are contemplated, such as fallwithin the scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, claimed as new is:

1. In combination with a motor truck including a chassis frame having abox-type body mounted thereon and having a longitudinal power take-offshaft beneath the body, a conveyor, a pair of links disposed parallelwith and pivotally connected at corresponding ends to opposite sides ofsaidl conveyor between the ends of the latter, means to selgctivelypivotally connect the other ends of said links to a side of the truckbody adjacent the top or bottom of the latter to respectively providefor location of the conveyor at an inclination within and upon thebottom of said truck body, location of the same at an nclinationwithinthebody of an adjacent vehicle. or location-thereof at -aninclination upon the ground beside the truck to respectively unloadmaterial from said truck body to either side of the truck, togunloadmaterial from an adjacent vehicle bodyr'into'a'n adjacentv bin, or totransfer material from the ground into said truck body or into anadjacent bin or vehicle, and means for what is driving said conveyorfrom said power take-off shaft in any of said locations.

2. In combination with a motor truck having a longitudinal powertake-off shaft and including a chassis frame having a box-type bodymounted thereon, a bracket fixed to one side of the chassis frame andhaving a countershaft journaled thereon, a driving connection betweensaid power take-ofi" shaft and said countershaft, a second bracketmounted on the lower portion of one' at opposite sides of the conveyorand pivotally,

connecting said transverse shaft to said third countershaft andproviding for disposition of the conveyor in positions laterallyinclined toward and beyond either side of the truck body, drivingconnections between the third countershaft and said transverse shaft, adriving connection be tween said transverse shaft and the conveyor, saiddriving connection between the second and third countershaits includinga removable driving element therebetween, said links being detachablefrom the third countershat and attachable to the second countershaft toprovide 8 for positioning of the conveyor in inclined positions whileresting on the ground beside the truck for loading material from theground into the body of the truck or into a vehicle or bin at one sideof the truck.

3. The construction defined in claim 2, wherein the driving connectionbetween the third countershaft and the transverse shaft of the conveyoris conditionable to reverse the direction in which the conveyor isdriven.

4. The construction defined in claim 2, wherein said driving connectionsbetween the iirst and second and the second and third countershaftsinclude driving belts, said second and third brackets being adjustableto tighten said driving belts.

JESS R. KITCHENS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,448,835 Egger Mar. 20, 19231,515,328 Barkmann et al. Nov. 11, 1924 1,841,525 Evensen Jan. 19, 19322,419,324 Davis Apr. 29, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date395,784 Great Britain Feb. 14, 1929

